Presser-foot-lifting mechanism for sewing-machines.



PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

' J. M. MERROW. PRESSBR FOOT LIPTING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JANAB, 1905.

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PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.-

7 J. M. MBRROW. PRESSEB FOOT LIFTING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINESAPPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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. UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQIE.

JOSEPH M. MERROW, or amine,"'dimmw, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERROW MACHINECOMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPO- RATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PRESSER-FOOT-LIFTING MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed January 13. 1905. Serial No. 240,929.

To rbZl whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. MEnRow, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Hartford, county of Hartford, State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPresser-Foot-Lifting Mechanisms for Sewing-Machines; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, refe1 ence being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to thefigures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to mechanism for the manipulation of the presserfeet of sewing machines, both by hand and in other ways, as forinstance, by the operators foot, and the object of the invention is togenerally improve such devices.

Mechanism of the kind referred to as heretofore constructed has, in sofar as I am aware, contained hand operated mechanism and companionmechanism (usually foot operated) that have been practically distinctfrom each other, the sewing machine having virtually two presser footlifting mechanisms.

In contradistinction to the construction just recited the inventionherein described provides presser foot lifting mechanism,

0 containing elements common to both the hand and the companion(hereinafter referred to as the foot Operated) mechanisms, a footoperated lifter being provided, one or more of the elements of which maybe utilized inde- 3 5 pendently to raise the presser foot by hand.

The accompanying drawings illustrate this invention as follows:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the presser foot lifting device and showsfurther, in outline,

0 a sewing machine in connection with which it is used. Fig. 2 is a planview of the presser foot lifting device on a somewhat enlarged scale.Fig. 3 is a combined elevation and sectional view of the upper portionof the device, the portion in section being taken on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view, simi lar to the Fig. 3, the sectional portionthereof being taken on the line 4*4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an elevation ofa portion of the mechan 5o ism of the Fig. 2 as viewed from the left ofthe said Fig. 2.

In the drawings like reference figures and letters denote the same partsthroughout the several views.

1. is the stand or table upon which the presser-foot lifter is mountedand secured, as is also the sewing machine 2 in connection with whichthe lifter is used. The sewing machine illustrated in the drawings is ofthe type commonly known as the Morrow overseaming machine but thisinvention is as well applicable to other styles of machines.

The numeral 3 denotes a frame or stand on which the operative elementsof the lifter are mounted, this stand being provided with ears 3, 3",which support a pin l forming the axial rod or pivotal pin of an element5 of angle lever form, mounted on the pin between the said ears. Arm 5of the element 5 is preferably of considerable length and is theoperating arm of the element while the other arm 5 is somewhat shorter.The hub of the element 5 is shown as being of considerable length andthe arms 5, 5 are located near the opposite ends of the said hubadjacent respectively to the ears 3, 3 of the stand 3. The pin 4 may beheld against endwise displacement by a set screw 6 which may be locatedin the angle lever element 5 as shown.

The hub of the angle lever element 5 is somewhat shorter in length thanthe distance between the ears 3, 3 that there may be loosely mounted"upon the pin 4, between the last named ear and the adjacent end of thehub, a lever 7 which forms the presser foot lifting lever proper of thedevice. The lever 7 is adapted to rest on or be engaged by a stud orboss 5 located on the side of the arm 5 near the outer end of thelatter.

The lever arm 5' extends over the stand 3, which latter is bored at 3for a spring pressed plunger 8. One end of the plunger 8 projects fromthe hole 3", and engages the arm 5 and the opposite end of the saidplunger bears against a spring 9 seated in the hole 3 and conlinedtherein between the end of the plunger and the bottom of the hole, thespring thus operating through the plunger 8 to force the arm 5 upward.Rocking movement the element 5 in the direction last mentioned islimited, however, by the arm 5 which is adapted to engage the stand 3 inthe manner best shown in Fig. 4, while rockmay readily be used withcertain sewing maing motion in the opposite direction is preferablylimited and controlled by an adjustable stop carried by the arm 5 andadapted to engage the stand 3. The said stop is preferably of set screwform and two screws 12, 12 are shown which serve to check each other inthe well understood manner.

The number 10 denotes a wire or other suitable connection leading fromthe free end of the arm 5 to some suitable operating device, as, forexample, a foot lever 11 hingerL to the floor in which instance the wire10 passes through an opening 1 in the. table 1.

The presser foot shank 13 has a projection or stud 13 and carries at itslower end the foot proper 13 Said shank is arranged to slide verticallyin the machine head 2 to raise and lower the presser foot in the usualmanner.

The presser foot lifting device is so positioned relatively to thesewing machine (usually in the rear of the latter) that the liftinglever 7 lies directly beneath the stud 13 ofthe presser foot shank, thefree end of the said lever pointing toward the operator and constitutinga convenient finger piece. Should it be desired to lift the presser footby hand the free end of the lever 7 is swung upward on the pin I in theusual way to engage the stud 13 and raise the presser foot as shown bythe dotted lines in Fig. 3. Should the hands of the operator not be freethe presser foot mechanism may be readily actuated by the foot of theoperator, the treadle 11 being forced downward and the latter throughthe wire 10 secured to the arm 5 of the element 5 rocking the latter, asshown in Fig. 4, against the force of the spring 9, Fig. 3. Rockingmotion of the element 5 is, through the arm 5 whose stud 5 engages thelever 7, imparted to the said lever and the said lever is rocked asthough lifted from its free end, thereby effecting the raising of thepresser foot as also clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

It will now be seen that presser foot lifting mechanism is provided,having a lever which may be directly operated by the hand of theoperator (independently of the balance of the lifter mechanism) to rai ethe presser foot, or the said lever may be made to operate in the samemanner, though indirectly, through the said balance of the mechanism.

The presser foot lifting device as herein shown and described is of suchform that it chines now in common use by suitably attaching this deviceto the table in the rear of the machine.

It is obvious that devices embodying the invention may beattacheddirectly to the sewing machine, or the parts may be embodieddirectly in a properly designed ma chine and hence I do not wish to belimited and a connection between the foot treadle and the angle leverwhereby the depression of the foot treadle actuates the hand lever toeffect the raising of the presser-foot, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a sewing machine presser foot, a combined handand foot operated mechanism for lifting the presser foot comprising apivotally secured hand lever for engaging and raising the presser foot,an an gle lever engaging the hand lever and adapted for connection withmeans whereby it may be rocked, a pivotal support common to both thehand lever and the angle lever, the

said means for rocking the angle lever comprising a spring and a plungeracting normally to hold the angle lever in inoperative position, a foottreadle and a connection between the foot treadle and the angle leverwhereby the depression of the foot treadle actuates the hand leverto'effect the raising of the presser foot; substantially as described.

3. A presser foot lifting attachment for sewing machines comprising adetachable stand, a hand lever for raising the presser foot and a secondlever for actuating the said hand lever, said levers being both pivotedupon the said stand substantially as described.

4. A presser foot lifting attachment for sewing machines, consisting ina detachable stand av lever for lifting the presser foot by hand, asecondarylever for actuating the said hand lever independently of thehand, both pivoted on the stand, a spring to actuate the secondary leverin one direction and a treadle and a connection between the said treadleIIC and the secondary lever to actuate the latter and the angle lever,the means for rocking i whereby the depression of the treadle actutheangle lever comprising a spring and at I ates the handliftinglever tocheat theruising plunger in the support, the plunger engaging E of thepresser Foot, substantially as described. the angle lever and actingnormally to so JOSEPH M. MERJHHV. hold the same that the presser footmay be 1 Witnesses: lowered, a foot treadle and a connection bel ALoNzoM. LU'rnnn, tween the foot treadle and the angle lever i \V. C.S'rnWA'lrr.

